Music Review: Bruce Springsteen ~ "Wrecking Ball" CD

Bruce Springsteen is back at the top of the charts with his new CD "Wrecking Ball."

This is Springsteen's first release since 2009's "Working On A Dream." But, unlike that album and 2007's "Magic," "Wrecking Ball" is not an E-Street Band album but more of a Bruce solo album like 1987's "Tunnel Of Love."

Springsteen and producer Ron Aniello are joined on the album by countless studio musicians. Like "Tunnel Of Love" only a few E-Streeters appear including Max Weinberg (drums on 3 tracks), Steven Van Zandt (guitar and mandolin on 3 tracks) and of course Patty Scialfa who handles background vocals throughout.

Sadly, the album also includes the last 2 performances by recently departed original member and Springsteen's #1 on stage comrade Clarence Clemons. Clemons handles sax solo duties on "Wrecking Ball" and "Land Of Hope And Dreams" and the liner notes contain a full page heartfelt goodbye written by the boss himself who lets the fans know that "Clarence doesn't leave the e street band when he dies. He leaves when we die."

For me "Wrecking Ball" is a mixed bag of what I like to call "Grapes of Wrath/Bagpipe/Gospel Bruce" and finds Springsteen touching on themes he has covered many times in the past.

Springsteen also mines some of the same territory he covered with the "Seeger Sessions" CD and even recycles some songs that have been released before ("Land Of Hope And Dreams" and the title track "Wrecking Ball" have both been available on previous Springsteen LIVE releases). Of the two bonus tracks available on the deluxe edition, one is yet another recycled tune, a new studio version of "American Land."

The album also contains some lazy lyric writing such as in the song "Easy Money" with it's opening lines of "You can put on your coat, I'll put on my hat. You put out the dog, I'll put out the cat." Come on, Rolling Stone Magazine! That line alone should knock at least 1 star off of the 5 Star review that you so graciously awarded this collection of tunes.

All in all it's still better to have an "okay" Springsteen album every couple of years than to wait half a decade or more for something classic. If you're a huge Bruce fan (as I am) you will definitely find a few standout tracks amongst the sub-par fare. Here's hoping for a full on Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band album soon!

Drumroll please… 7 out of 10 drumsticks!!!